{
  "id": 8257487,
  "title": "Trump’s Anti-Bias AI Order Is Just More Bias",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/trumps-anti-bias-ai-order-is-just-more-bias",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-18T14:10:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired Business",
    "slug": "wired-business",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/trump-ai-order-bias-openai-google/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Wednesday, the Trump administration unveiled an AI manifesto, a comprehensive roadmap aimed at securing the United States' dominance in artificial intelligence technology. However, one aspect of the plan appears to mirror China's approach. The administration aims to ensure that AI models align with the definition of \"truth\" that the government employs. The plan states, \"It is essential that these systems be built from the ground up with freedom of speech and expression in mind, and that U.S. government policy does not interfere with that objective. We must ensure that free speech flourishes in the era of AI and that AI procured by the Federal government objectively reflects truth rather than social engineering agendas.\" The last sentence of this statement raises questions about who determines the \"truth\" and what constitutes a \"social engineering agenda.\" Early in the same paragraph, the plan instructs the Department of Commerce to review Biden-era AI regulations and \"eliminate references to misinformation, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and climate change.\" Critics argue that acknowledging climate change is akin to social engineering, while the White House maintains that AI systems should prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity. The government's stance seems to echo its previous actions, including its limited view of American history, denial of climate change, and the assertion of Trump's claims as objective truth. This week, Trump posted an AI video of Barack Obama in jail on his Truth Social account, illustrating the administration's approach to AI. In a speech introducing the plan, Trump expressed his disdain for what he calls \"woke Marxist lunacy\" in AI models. He subsequently signed an executive order, \"Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,\" which states that the federal government should refrain from regulating private AI models' functionality. However, the order aims to prevent the procurement of AI models that compromise truthfulness and accuracy in the federal procurement context. The order criticizes AI models that support diversity, call out racial bias, or emphasize gender equality, painting them as violations of the White House's interpretation of history, sexuality, and other contentious subjects. While AI companies are free to decide how to handle these demands, the order may be perceived as an attempt to exert pressure on them to align with the administration's ideological viewpoint. The companies are tasked with determining how to comply with these mandates. Speaking with an OpenAI engineer, it was revealed that the company has always aimed for neutrality. While meeting government standards might not be a major challenge technically, the constitutional implications of such regulations are significant. Assuming companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google decide to minimize racial bias in their LLMs or ensure their models reflect climate change dangers, the First Amendment would likely protect these decisions as exercising freedom of speech and expression. However, so far, no major tech company has openly opposed the Trump administration's plan. Google praised the White House's support for its initiatives, Anthropic published a positive blog post about the plan, and OpenAI claims to be nearing objectivity. Despite these statements, there has been no public expression of the companies' own freedom of expression. The AI Action Plan appears to be a win-win situation for AI companies, as it provides them with ample opportunities to collaborate with the government in the race against China. The plan allows AI companies to bypass environmental concerns when building data centers and supports AI research flowing into the private sector. However, the \"anti-woke\" order raises concerns, as AI increasingly serves as a medium for news and information dissemination. The current administration has reportedly pressured media conglomerates to compromise their journalistic principles to align with corporate interests. The prospect of similar accommodations for AI models cannot be overlooked. Senator Edward Markey has written to the CEOs of Alphabet, Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta, urging them to challenge the executive order. He highlights the financial incentives the order presents for the Big Tech companies to ensure their AI chatbots align with the administration's interpretation of history, sexuality, and other contentious issues.",
  "summary": "The Trump administration says it wants AI models free from ideological bias, as it pressures their developers to reflect the president’s worldview.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}